
24
'ARSONS FROM THE BOOK OF DANIEL.
times, two years; times is plural, hence more than one; and as the
numeral adjective is not used, and as the orginal is dual in form,
we know that "times" here means two "times," or years; dividing
of time, one-half a time would be understood, unless the number
of parts was specified.
(See also Dan. 12: 7; Rev. 12: 6, 14.)
Hence we have three and one-half times, or years. This reduced
to days, as the year was anciently counted, twelve months of thirty
days each, would be as follows: One year, 360 days; two years, 720
days; one-half year, 180 days; total, 1,260 days. (See Rev. 11 : 2, 3;
12 : 6, 14; 13 : 5.) As this is prophetic time, and as these days, like
the beasts, are used as symbols, we adopt the Bible rule of aelay
symbolizing a year. (See Num. 14 : 34; Eze. 4 : 4-6.) These scrip-
tures show conclusively the correctness of the above reckoning.
Beginning with A. D. 538, when the papal supremacy was secured
by the overthrow of the Ostrogoths, the 1,260 years would reach
to 1798, the very year when its supremacy was broken.
6.
A DEADLY wound was given to the Papacy in 1798, and its
persecuting power was taken away. Still the pope was a civil
ruler and exercised civil authority for many years, but with lessen-
ing degree, till Sept. 20, 1870, when the last vestige of temporal
power was stripped from him by Victor Emanuel. His temporal
dominion was consumed and destroyed unto the end, that is, till
the end of his dominion, till it ceased. It should be noticed that
this refers to a gradual consuming of the dominion till it is gone,
or destroyed, and not to the sudden destruction of the Papacy
itself when Christ comes. 2 Thess. 2 : 8. Because the dominion
of the Papacy is taken away or consumed until the end of the tem-
poral dominion is reached, it by no means follows that its power
will not be restored so that it will again persecute the people of
God, for the Scriptures clearly teach that the deadly wound will
be healed, and the Papacy will be a living, persecuting power when
Christ conies, as already proved.
7.
THE decree of papal infallibility, July 21, 1870, fulfills with
wonderful exactness the "voice of the great words which the horn
spake." Future lessons will show that the session of the judgment
described in verses 9, 10, began in 1844. Hence, Daniel could